Title: Sustainable development: EU strategy, policy and programmes
1Sustainable developmentEU strategy, policy and
programmes
- Anamarija Slabe, Institute for Sustainable
Development - EEB European Environmental Bureau, Executive BM
2What is EEB?
- The largest EU umbrella organisation of envi NGOs
- Membership 143 member organizations in 31
countriesNon-governmental organisations,
dealing with environmental issues and nature
protection. - EEB has consultative status at and relations
with - the Council of Europe,
- the Commission of the EU, the European
Parliament, - the Economic and Social Committee of the EU,
- the OECD and
- the UN Commission on Sustainable Development
(CSD).
3EEB - Mission
- The mission of the EEB is to become an effective
instrument in visibly improving EU's
environmental policies and realising sustainable
development by effectively integrating
environmental objectives in horizontal and
sectoral policies of the EU as well as ensuring
compliance with effective strategies to realise
these objectives.
4EEB to SDS review (within G10)
- A programme for the Sustainable Development of
the European Union - - Proposals from Environmental Organisations for
a realistic and ambitious Sustainable Development
Strategy to be adopted by the June 2006
European Summit
5EU and sustainable development
- 1997 SD included in the Treaty of Amsterdam as a
fundamental objective of the EU -
- June 2001 1st SDS (Sustainable Development
Strategy) at the Gothenburg Summit - June 2006 Renewed EU Sustainable Development
Strategy (for an enlarged EU)
61st EU SDS 2001
- Composed of two parts
- OBJECTIVES POLICY MEASURES
- How to tackle most important unsustainable trends
- Revision of the policy-making
- New approach to policy-making achieve mutual
reinforcement of economic, social and
environmental policies of the EU
71st EU SDS objectives policy measures
- combat climate change,
- ensure sustainable transport,
- address threats to public health, such as
chemicals pollution, unsafe food and infectious
diseases, - manage natural resources more responsibly and
stop biodiversity decline, - combat poverty and social exclusion, and
- meet the challenge of an ageing population.
81st EU SDS Revision of the policy-making
- Impact Assessment procedure
- Each new policy proposal has to be submitted to
IA! - Global dimension of SDS was stressed EU
obligations towards other nations, particularly
developing countries - Relation to Lisbon strategy
- SDS is overarching!
9Towards renewed EU SDS, 2006
- Progress achieved, but... unsustainable trends
persist. - 2004 public consultation
- 2005 guiding principles for SD adopted by the
European Council
10Renewed EU SDS
- Climate change and clean energy
- Sustainable transport
- Sustainable production and consumption
- Public health threats
- Better management of natural resources
- Social inclusion, demography and migration
- Fighting global poverty
11Renewed SDS commitments
- (from Eur. Council Declaration, June 2005)
- Key objectives
- Environmental protection
- Social equity and cohesion
- Economic prosperity
- Meeting our international responsibilities
- Policy guiding principles
- Key challenges
12Renewed SDS Key challenges
- Climate Change and clean energy
- Overall objective To limit climate change and
its costs and negative effects to society and the
environment - Operational objectives and targets
- Kyoto Protocol commitments of the EU-15 and most
EU-25 to targets for reducing greenhouse gas
emissions by 2008 2012, whereby the EU-15
target is for an 8 reduction in emissions
compared to 1990 levels. Aiming for a global
surface average T not to rise by more than 2ºC
compared to the pre-industrial level. - By 2010, 12 of energy consumption, on average,
and 21 of electricity consumption, as a common
but differentiated target, should be met by
renewable sources, considering raising their
share to 15 by 2015. - Reaching an overall saving of 9 of final energy
consumption over 9 years until 2017 as indicated
by the Energy End-use Efficiency and Energy
Services Directive.
13Renewed SDS Key challenges
- Sustainable Transport
- Overall objective To ensure that our transport
systems meet societys economic, social and
environmental needs whilst minimising their
undesirable impacts on the economy, society and
the environment. - Operational objectives and targets
- ...
- In line with the EU strategy on CO2 emissions
from light duty vehicles, the average new car
fleet should achieve CO2 emissions of 140g/km
(2008/09) and 120g/km (2012). - Halving road transport deaths by 2010 compared to
2000.
14Renewed SDS Key challenges
- Sustainable consumption and production
- Overall objective To promote sustainable
consumption and production patterns. - Operational objectives and targets
- Promoting sustainable consumption and production
by addressing social and economic development
within the carrying capacity of ecosystems and
decoupling economic growth from environmental
degradation. - Aiming to achieve by 2010 an EU average level of
Green Public Procurement (GPP) equal to that
currently achieved by the best performing Member
States. - ...
15- Sustainable consumption and production
- Actions should include
- The Commission and Member States will explore
specific actions to bring about more sustainable
consumption and production patterns at EU and
global level, in particular through the UN
Marrakech Process and the Commission for
Sustainable Development. In this context the
Commission will propose an EU Sustainable
Consumption and production Action plan by 2007,
which should help to identify and overcome
barriers for SCP and to ensure better coherence
between the different related policy areas and to
raise awareness among citizens and change
unsustainable consumption habits. . - Member States should support information
campaigns with retailers and other organisations
to promote sustainable products inter alia
products that stem from organic farming and fair
trade as well as environmentally sound products.
16Renewed SDS Key challenges
- Conservation and management of natural resources
- Overall objective To improve management and
avoid overexploitation of natural resources,
recognising the value of ecosystem services. - Operational objectives and targets
- Halting the loss of biodiversity and contributing
to a significant reduction in the worldwide rate
of biodiversity loss by 2010. - Avoiding the generation of waste and enhancing
efficient use of natural resources by applying
the concept of life-cycle thinking and promoting
reuse and recycling.
17- Conservation and management of natural resources
- Actions should include
- Member States should complete the Natura 2000
network, including designation of marine areas.
Particular attention should be paid to the need
for improved implementation of both Natura 2000
and of species protection and management
policies. - Member States should implement the EU
Biodiversity Strategy in both its EU and its
global dimensions (Convention on Biological
Diversity) and, in cooperation with the
Commission, take measures to identify and
implement priority actions to achieve the
objective of halting the loss of biodiversity by
2010 and beyond.
18Renewed SDS Key challenges
- Public Health
- Overall objective To improve management and
avoid overexploitation of natural resources,
recognising the value of ecosystem services. - Operational objectives and targets
- Curbing the increase in lifestyle-related and
chronic diseases, particularly among
socioeconomically disadvantaged groups and areas. - Ensuring that by 2020 chemicals, including
pesticides, are produced, handled and used in
ways that do not pose significant threats to
human health and the environment. In this
context, the rapid adoption of the Regulation for
the registration, evaluation, authorisation and
restriction of chemicals (REACH) will be a
milestone, the aim being to eventually replace
substances of very high concern by suitable
alternative substances or technologies. - Improving information on environmental pollution
and adverse health impacts.
19Renewed SDS Key challenges
- Social inclusion, demography and migration
- Overall objective To create a socially inclusive
society by taking into account solidarity between
and within generations and to secure and increase
the quality of life of citizens as a precondition
for lasting individual well-being. - Operational objectives and targets
- Pursuing the EU objective that steps have to be
taken to make a decisive impact on the reduction
of the number of people at risk of poverty and
social exclusion by 2010 with a special focus on
the need to reduce child poverty - Reducing the negative effects of globalisation on
workers and their families
20Renewed SDS Key challenges
- Global poverty and SD challenges
- Overall objective To actively promote
sustainable development worldwide and ensure that
the EUs internal and external policies are
consistent with global sustainable development
and its international commitments. - Operational objectives and targets
- Contribute to improving international
environmental governance (IEG), in particular in
the context of the follow-up to the 2005 World
Summit outcome, and to strengthening multilateral
environmental agreements (MEAs). - Raise the volume of aid to 0,7 of Gross National
Income (GNI) by 2015 with an intermediate target
of 0,56 in 2010.
21Renewed SDS
- Cross cutting policies for knowledge society
- Education and training
- Research and development
- Financing and economic instruments
- Promote market transparency
- Prices that reflect real (E, S, E) costs
- Shift taxation from labour to resource and energy
consumption/pollution - Gradually eliminate harmful subsidies
- Funding should work for SD enhance
complementarities and synergies of Community
funding (Coh. P., RD, Life, Res. Tech. Devel.,
Comp. Innov. Prog., ...
22Renewed SDS
- Communication, mobilising actors and multiplying
success - Mainstream SD in information, awareness-rising,
communication activities of the Commision - Role of MS, regional and local level (Local
Agenda 21...) Municipalities/cities to sign
Aalbog commitments support to networks - EC to develop promotion of Eur. Sust. Cities
Towns Campaign - Active involvement of all stakeholders
(Bussiness, NGOs, workers org.) - Civil society initiatives to create more
ownership of SD
23Renewed SDS
- Implementation, monitoring and follow-up
- 2-year progress reports
- Development of indicators at appropriate levels
- Voluntary SD peer reviews in Member States
- 2-year re-orientation on the basis of progress
- MS to complete national SDS by June 2007
- 2011 assess the need for a comprehensive review
of EU SDS
24EU SD policies
- Sustainable cities urban environment
- The Thematic Strategy on the Urban Environment
- Support for cities
- Funding (LIFE, CIVITAS urban transport,
INTERREG...) - Case studies, good practices
- Tools
- Urban environment data
- Policy documents
- Everything available on
- http//ec.europa.eu/environment/urban/thematic_str
ategy.htm